Country singer Brantley Gilbert gave fans a rowdy party at his Knoxville concert on Friday with a few moments of tenderness in between.

Gilbert performed to a crowded Thompson-Boling Arena Friday night as a part of his 2018 The Ones That Like Me tour. The tour's name comes from a single from his latest album, 2017's "The Devil Don't Sleep."

Gilbert pumped up the crowd with several of his upbeat singles about partying and living it up including "Bottoms Up," "Kick It in the Sticks," "It's About to Get Dirty," "Country Must Be Country Wide" and others.

Headliner Brantley Gilbert is seen on screen while performing at a concert which began with opening performers Aaron Lewis and Josh Phillips in Thompson-Boling Arena Friday, Feb. 9, 2018.
Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel

His music falls into the country/pop genre, but Gilbert has a bit more grit than several artists in that category. His voice has plenty of rasp; his songs have more of a rock sound to them, and with his tattoos, piercings and black clothes, he doesn't look like a typical country singer.

What he may lack in vocal range, he makes up for with charisma and stage presence. Gilbert danced and fist pumped on stage, and his fans loved every minute of it.

He knows that too. Gilbert named The Ones That Like Me tour in honor of his fans, and before it began earlier this year, he asked them for feedback when putting together the set list.

Several fan suggestions led him to reintroduce an acoustic set in his shows. And that was a wise choice.

After hearing so many songs from Gilbert about partying and drinking, the acoustic set provided something different. It showcased his tender side. Gilbert shared about becoming a father and how it's changed his perspective. He followed that with a reflective performance of "Them Boys."

Another touching moment came from when Gilbert expressed his thankfulness for the United States military members and veterans. He dedicated his performance of "One Hell of an Amen" to them and to those suffering with cancer.

"On a serious note, I ain't asking you to raise your hands or stand up, but if you're an active duty or you're a veteran of the United States military, I want to say something to you real quick - hell yeah clap for them - you've got a lot of folks that love you and care about you and are thankful for you," said Gilbert.

"I want you to understand what I'm about to say, I'm not saying it because it sounds cool or 'cause it's the right thing to say ... having my kid, I already had respect beyond measure for you guys and girls, but people ask me what the hardest part about my job is, and right off the top of my head, I go 'Being away from home.' And I think about some of y'all who are doing 11- and 12-month tours overseas, and it makes all my (expletive) seem real simple, so thank y'all so much, man, for the sacrifice."

Gilbert's thank you to military wasn't the only patriotic moment of the night. Aaron Lewis, former front man of metal band Staind, opened for Gilbert. Donning a "Trump for President 2016" hat, he started off his set with the Pledge of Allegiance and earned a huge applause from the crowd.

Lewis' music also drifted between country and rock styles, and his lower, gravelly voice still sounds great. The crowd also went crazy when he sang two Staind songs including "It's Been Awhile" and "Right Here."

Country newcomer Josh Phillips also opened for Gilbert. He played a solo acoustic set, and while he didn't have a ton of songs to showcase, Phillips seemed right at home on stage.